St. Andrew’s Church.

Having come back to Vladimirskaya Street, we get to the beginning of Andreevsky Spusk and find ourselves on Andreevskaya hill where the gorgeous ancient architectural landmark – St. Andrew’s Church is situated. According to the legend Apostle Andrew who was the first who has named Christ as Messiah, set the cross in this place during his hike from Sinope to Rome and predicted creation of the big city. The project of St. Andrew’s Church was worked out by the architect of Russian imperial court Bartholomew Phranchesco Rastrelli.

Panorama of Andreevsky Spusk.

The outstanding Andreevsky Spusk begins upon St. Andrew’s Church. Situated on Andreevskaya hill, Andreevsky Spusk was the nearest way from the Upper City to Podol. After its reconstruction Andreevsky Spusk got the figure it had had on the verge of the last centuries. Numerous cafes, restaurants, antiquarian stores are situated in the street. Countless sellers will offer you different remembrances about your visiting Kiev. The pictures of different Kiev artists are cut a dash.

St. Andrew’s Church.	Andreevsky Spusk.	Restourant “Chumatsky Dvor”.

From the right of St. Andrew’s Church the monument to Pronya Prokopovna Serkova and Svirid Petrovich Golohvastoff, the characters of the movie-version of the play “After Tow Hares” by Michail Staryzky, is set in Desyatina Street. The ceremony of inauguration of the monument took place on 23th of August 1999. The ceremony was visited by Margarita Krynyzina who has played the character of Pronya Prokopovna. The male character of Svirid Petrovich was played by Oleg Borisoff. When the spread had fallen trilled Margarita Krynyzina said: “Grande merci for the compliment! I’ve become twice hero today. And even more, because in earlier times the bust was set to twice hero, but I got the whole figure.

Vladimirskaya Street.

Vladimirskaya Street begins near St. Andrew’s Church. It is hard to find a street in Kiev that would be more glutted with historical and cultural monuments than Vladimirskaya Street is. Here such great architects as Vikentiy and Alexander Beretti, B. Rastrelli, I. Michurin, P. Alyoshin and others left their signs. The street sopped up the best of the heritage left by the first Kiev princes and the living. That is why our excursion will be continued down Vladimirskaya Street. Having passed two blocks, you’ll get to Sophievskaya Square.

Panorama of Sophievskaya Square (digital photo).

The Square has been considered to be public and trade-economical center of Kiev since the period of Yaroslav’s the Wise reign (1019-1054). In the place in 1036 Yaroslav clobbered the wild hordes of the nomadizing Pechenigs who had been attacking Rus and Kiev for more than a century. Viche (the national meetings) has been summoned in this place since the time of Kiev Rus. Different fairs took place here in 16-19th centuries. In 1998 the Square, Vladimirsky passage and Michailovskaya Square were reconstructed: paving stones of clinker bricks and dark grey granite were set.

Monument to B. Khmelnytsky

Panorama of Sophievskaya Square. St. Sophia’s Campanile.

Walking slowly down Vladimirskaya Street, you’ll get to the building #36. Built in 1880 the building had three floors and was named “Ilinskaya’s apartments” after its owner A. Ilinskaya who was widow of a lieutenant. The Czech public character V. Vondark built three floors more and renamed it as the “Prague Hotel” at early years of the last century. The highest floor had terrace for summer restaurant. The famous Czech author of the immortal novel “Adventures of the dashing soldier Shvake” Yaroslav Gashek lived in the hotel during 1916-1918.
Nowadays one of the bulks of the “Sankt-Peterburg Hotel” is situated in the building.

Vladimirskaya Street. Building # 39/24.

A little bit further a beautiful building (# 39/24) of renaissance style greets at the crossing of Vladimirskaya and Proreznaya streets. After accomplishment of the building it was managed by the wife of the owner A. Sirotkeen who worked as merchant. There was well-known in Kiev cafe “Marquis” on the ground floor. This cafe was mentioned under this title in the novel “The White Guards” by M. Bulghakoff. The author describes this cafe in his novel in such way: “Lamps, twined with Gipsy shawls, shined with two lights – down with white electrical but sidelong and up with orange ones. The ceiling was spreading with a star of the blue dusted silk, large brilliants were shining and sandy Siberian furs were glossing at the blue boxes”. The building has been known as the restaurant “Leipzig” that was popular among Kievites and guests of the city, till its last restoration.

Golden Gates

Near the same cross-road a cozy Kiev square is situated. In the middle of the square one of the most ancient relics of the Kiev history, Golden Gates, tower up. It is believed, that Yaroslav the Wise surrounded the Upper City with three gates. Golden Gates that were being built together with new reinforcements of the Upper City were powerful defensive building and at the time the central gates of Kiev. Under the passable part of Golden Gates Church of the Annuciation with gilt domes (that is why, according to the one of the numerous versions, such name of the Gates origined) was built. Golden Gates that were built together with St. Sophia’s Cathedral, were mentioned as “sky gates” in one of the national folk-lore. That is because sun got through them, rose and entered the “skyey town”. So sun saved Kiev from the darkness and death. Golden Gates became an inalienable part of the city center. There are always a lot of tourists and campers here. The cast-iron fountain, remaining a vase for fruit, was set in the square near Golden Gates in 1899. Nowadays the fountain poses the central structure of the summer restaurant.